Pricing
Firm-Fixed Price.
Published Up Front.
Near-space flight test, priced by the pound — not by the billable hour. No time-and-materials clock, no open-ended engagement. You know the number before you commit, and the number holds.
A Number You Can Put in a Budget
Most ways to get flight-environment data come with an open-ended price tag. A consulting engagement bills time and materials — the meter runs whether or not you get the data. A “free” ride-along on someone else's program costs you schedule certainty instead of dollars.
StratoStar prices the mission firm-fixed, by payload weight, before you sign. That's a number you can drop into an SBIR or grant proposal as a defensible line item, push up your approval chain without an asterisk, and defend to leadership reviewing which programs to keep.
Real Flight Test. Real Data. Real Budgets.
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Firm-fixed, by the pound — quoted before you sign
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A defensible line item for proposals and budgets
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Published rates — no “call us to find out if you can afford it”
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Mission Access Fee quoted per mission, locked in your quote
Two Services, Priced by the Pound
Flight Qualification Service (FQS)
Components & subsystems — radios, sensors, antennas, boards
2 lb minimum
- Payload
- 2–6 lb payload
- Plus
- Mission Access Fee
- Pricing
- Firm-fixed
Integrated Flight Service (IFS)
Integrated systems & full payloads
4 lb minimum
- Payload
- 4–80 lb payload
- Plus
- Mission Access Fee
- Pricing
- Firm-fixed
Not sure which fits your payload? FQS is component-scale (2–6 lb); IFS is system-scale (4–80 lb). Compare the services →
Private Missions
Both FQS and IFS are available as private missions — a dedicated flight flown for your payload alone. No co-passengers, your timeline, full control of the flight profile, and sensitive-payload handling when you need it. Because every private mission is scoped to your requirements, pricing is firm-fixed and quoted after a short consultation. Flying heavier than the standard 20 lb? IFS runs as a private mission for payloads up to 80 lb.
The Price Buys a Complete Flight Test
Every firm-fixed mission returns the Mission Package — not just a flight.
Real environmental characterization — thermal, pressure, RF path, radiation
Your payload's telemetry, correlated to the flight environment
High-resolution photography of your hardware at altitude
Mission video reel — launch through recovery
Engineering report structured for TRL / heritage assessment
Hardware returned within 72 hours of landing
99%+ recovery, backed by a re-flight guarantee
No Surprises Between the Quote and the Launch
Pricing is driven by payload weight, so the process is built to lock that number down early and keep it honest.
You disclose the payload
A short Payload Disclosure Form captures your declared weight, dimensions, and payload details — what your firm-fixed quote is built on.
We re-weigh before integration
When your hardware arrives, we verify the actual weight before it's integrated for flight. If it matches your declaration, nothing changes.
Overage at a known rate
If your payload comes in over its declared weight, the extra weight is billed at the overage rate set in your services agreement — a known number agreed up front, not a penalty.
Payment Schedule
Deposit — books the mission and holds your Flight Test Calendar window
Due 30 days before launch (L-30)
After launch — final invoice, including any weight-overage adjustment
A Clean Quote and a Clean Contract
A firm-fixed number is only half of an easy purchase; the other half is the paperwork. StratoStar uses standard, battle-tested service agreements (FQS, IFS, and a Sensitive Payload Addendum) and has contracted with primes, integrators, and multi-party programs before. The agreement is ready to review, not drafted from scratch — so a clean quote and a clean contract travel up your approval chain together.
Pricing FAQ
- How is a near-space flight test priced?
- By payload weight, firm-fixed, plus a per-mission Mission Access Fee. FQS is $3,400/lb with a 2 lb minimum; IFS is $3,700/lb with a 4 lb minimum.
- What's the difference between FQS and IFS pricing?
- FQS covers component- and subsystem-scale payloads (2–6 lb). IFS covers integrated systems and larger payloads (4–80 lb) with added capability such as sustained altitude and real-time telemetry and commanding. IFS carries a higher per-pound rate and a higher minimum.
- What is the Mission Access Fee?
- A per-mission fee, quoted with your firm-fixed price, that covers launch operations, FAA coordination, tracking, recovery, and the Mission Package deliverable. It is quoted per mission because it flexes with the add-on services you choose and the flight window you book. Once it is in your quote, it is locked.
- Is the price really fixed?
- Yes — firm-fixed before you sign. The only adjustment is a payload that comes in over its declared weight, which is reconciled on the final invoice at the overage rate set in your services agreement — a known number, agreed up front.
- How does payment work?
- A 50% deposit books your mission and holds your Flight Test Calendar window; 40% is due 30 days before launch; the final 10% is invoiced after launch, including any weight-overage adjustment.
- What if my payload weighs more than I declared?
- We re-weigh every payload before integration. If it is over the weight on your Payload Disclosure Form, the extra pounds are billed at the overage rate set in your services agreement — a known rate agreed before you fly, not a penalty.
- Do you fly private or dedicated missions?
- Yes, on both FQS and IFS. A private mission is flown for your payload alone, on your schedule. Because each is scoped to your requirements, private missions are firm-fixed and quoted after a short consultation.